Abstract: We investigated the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and accessory olfactory bulbs (AOB) of male mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus) at postnatal 0, 5, 15, 25 days of ages using histological method. The VNO was stained using Pischinger method while AOB was stained using hematoxylin-eosin method. In the mandarin vole, which continues to grow during most of its adult life, VNO and AOB were well developed before birth. However, full development of VNO and AOB did not occur until postnatal 25 days. At birth, mandarin vole had the basic structure of VNO and AOB of the adults. From age 0 to age 25 days, the thickness of vomeronasal epithilium, the length of the vomeronasal duct, and the size of the gland increased with age. The dorsolateral vessel became larger and numbers of other vessels increased. The size of AOB, the length of the granule cell and the mitral cell zones, and the density of granule cells increased with age also, while the density of mitral cells increased from age 0 to age 15 days, then declined. Voles of age 25 days and the adults had the similar densities of mitral cells as those of age 5 days. These results suggest that possibly at postnatal age 5 days, the structure development of VNO and AOB was complete, and possibly at postnatal 25 days, VNO and AOB were fully functional.

Key words: Mandarin voles (Microtus mandarinus), Vomeronasal organ, Accessory olfactory bulb, Postnatal development

摘要： 通过对出生后不同发育时期雄性棕色田鼠犁鼻器和副嗅球进行组织学观察, 探讨棕色田鼠出生后犁鼻器和副嗅球的发育规律。实验以出生后当天(0 日龄) , 5 日龄, 15 日龄, 25 日龄以及成年棕色田鼠为研究对象,副嗅球采用Pischinger 氏染色法染色, 犁鼻器用H. E. 染色法染色后进行组织学观察。结果显示, 棕色田鼠出生时, 犁鼻器和副嗅球就已具有成体的基本结构, 随着动物个体的发育, 犁鼻上皮逐渐增厚, 犁鼻管变长, 犁鼻上皮中神经元密度增加; 腺体逐渐增大, 犁鼻管腔填充物增多, 犁鼻管背外侧的静脉血管逐日增大, 管腔周围出现越来越多的血管; 副嗅球长宽都增加, 僧帽细胞层和颗粒细胞层逐渐增长, 各层细胞密度变化稍有不同;出生后15 日内, 僧帽细胞层细胞密度增加, 15 日龄以后又开始降低, 25 日龄及成体的僧帽细胞层细胞密度与5日龄的相似; 颗粒细胞层细胞密度持续增高。实验结果提示, 棕色田鼠5 日龄时, 犁鼻器和副嗅球已具有了完整的结构, 到25 日龄时可能达到了功能上的成熟。

关键词: 棕色田鼠, 犁鼻器, 副嗅球, 出生后发育